Tour Plan-4

 *This fast trip will warm even the most frost bitten visitor escaping a frigid winter elsewhere in the world. Begin your jaunt in Galle founded by the Portuguese in the 16th century, it is one of southeast Asia's best preserved, fortified colonial cities. Walk the walls at sunset and enjoy the many cafes cropping up along streets lined with renovated and delightfully dilapidated old buildings.

*Hit the beach at nearby Unawatuna, which has an alluring crescent of sand, cafes overlooking the surf and perfectly blue waters luring you in. Now find your inner Tarzan (many of the movies were short in Sri Lanka) at the UNESCO recognized Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Sri Lanka's last major tropical rain forest.

*Back on the south coast, Sri Lanka has a fast breaking surf scene and you'll find lessons, board rentals and cheap surfer dives in Ahangama and Midigama.

*Another short jaunt east brings you to Weligama, which has beach resorts and a lively fishing village with fascinating markets. Not far away is the sandy gem of the south, Mirissa, where cute little places to stay are hidden in the palms.